Artificial Reproductive Technologies

3741 Words8 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay on artificial reproductive technology

Artificial Reproductive Technologies

Introduction

Today about 15% of all couples in the United States have fertility problems. 40% of the problems attributed with the man and 50% with the woman and the other 10% is unexplained or due to both partners. Couples today are waiting longer to start families than their parents, this has an effect on fertility of the couple. A woman has a harder time trying to after the age of 30. So, when a couple decides that they want to start a family and can not, what options do they have? Due to the advancements in technology over the past 20 years, these couples now have options with Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART). Although these options are available, the question still remains; Are they ethical?

What Causes Infertility?

When a couple is infertile, the problem can exist with the man, woman or with both. In natural reproduction it has been estimated that even when sperm does reach the egg, only 84/100 are fertilized, 69/100 implant, 42/100 survive the first week of pregnancy and 31/100 survive to birth. So even in fertile couples, the odds are not totally on their side. Infertility can be caused by sources other than purely medical reasons like the standard of living, stress, and pollutants in the environment. Starting a family later in life also increases the chance of a couple being infertile.

There are two main causes of female infertility: tubal disease and endometriosis.

Tubal disease is a disorder in which the fallopian tubes are blocked or damaged.

Fallopian tubes are thin tubes leading from each of a woman's two ovaries to her uterus, through which eggs travel and in which they are fertilized. Scar tissue, infections or tubal litigation usually causes this ...

... middle of paper ...

...y for infertile couples. I believe that embryos have a right to life. I think that society is fortunate to have people that want to be surrogate mothers. I am sad for the orphans because they seem to get the short end of the stick in this deal. As more couples find ways to have their own children, less couples are looking into adoption.

Bibliograhy

Alpern, Kenneth D. 1992. "The Ethics of Reproductive Technology" Oxford University Press: New York

Caplan, Arthur L. 1995. "Human Reproduction Emerging Technologies, and Conflicting Rights" Library of Congress: Washington

Cunnimgham, Paige C. 2000. "The reproductive Revolution" William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company: Cambridge

Gosden, Roger. 1999. "Desiging Babies" W.H. Freeman and Company: New York

Hildt, Elisabeth. 1998. "In Vitro Fertilisation in the 1990's" Ashgate Publishing Company:Great Britian

Show More
Related

  • Gwendolyn Brooks' We Real Cool

    1359 Words  | 3 Pages

    The poem 'We Real Cool' by Gwendolyn Brooks is a stream of the thoughts of poor inner city African-Americans who have adopted a hoodlum lifestyle. Though many can have different interpretations of this poem, it is fair to look at the life and career or the works and influences of Gwendolyn Brooks.

    Read More

  • The Inspiring Rhyme of Gwendolyn Brooks

    773 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “We Real Cool,” by Gwendolyn Brooks, one can almost visualize a cool cat snapping his fingers to the beat, while she is reading this hip poem. Her powerful poem uses only a few descriptive words to conjure up a gang of rebellious teens. Brooks employs a modern approach to the English language and her choice of slang creates a powerful jazz mood. All of the lines are very short and the sound on each stop really pops. Brooks uses a few rhymes to craft an effective sound and image of the life she perceives. With these devices she manages to take full control of her rhyme and cultivates a morally inspiring poem.

    Read More

  • Ethical Implications of Assisted Reproductive Technology

    930 Words  | 2 Pages

    English, V. (2006). Autonomy versus protection--who benefits from the regulation of IVF? Human Reproduction, 21(12), 3044-9. Retrieved February 7, 2011, from http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/21/12/3044.full.pdf+html/.

    Read More

  • Selective Reduction Abortion

    747 Words  | 2 Pages

    For many years, infertile couples have had difficulty facing the reality that they can not have children. According to Nidus Information Services Incorporated, 6.2 million women in the United States are infertile. This problem leads to many options. A few options have been used for a long period of time: the couple could adopt a child or keep trying to have a child themselves. For those couples that want to have their own children, there are new options arising. In vetro fertilization is an option that gives couples the chance to have a doctor combine the male's sperm and the woman's eggs in a petri dish and implant them into the woman's womb after the artificial conception. This may result in multiple pregnancies - more than five in some cases. This does not only occur in implantation, however. Many times the patient's doctor will ask her to consider selective reduction: aborting a few fetuses to save the ones she can. In a case of multiple pregnancy, selective reduction should be considered an option.

    Read More

  • What Are The Pros And Cons Of In Vitro Fertilization

    1234 Words  | 3 Pages

    IVF does have its pros, but for some couples the cons could possibly outweigh these benefits. According to BabyCenter.com, some pros are things such as successful track record, no link to cancer, and improved techniques. But the list of cons seem to outweigh these pros by a few negative factors such as: price, time consuming, IVF not working, and potential complications for the baby and mother during delivery (BabyCenter). Clearly some of these cons are easily fixed by family help or the couple’s salary, but for almost all middle class soon-to-be mothers, this procedure will put a dent in their daily lifestyles. Just for my IVF procedure, my parents spent around $25,000. They had to sell their house and downgrade to a much smaller one, but also were lucky enough to receive financial help from my grandparents, because they were just as passionate of this procedure as were my parents. If a couple can see past the cons, and agree that the pros outweigh them, then IVF is a procedure for them. Among the pros is the success rate, which is seemingly very different depending on age groups. According to American Pregnancy Association (2012), the success rates differ per age group. For example: under the age of 35 is 41%-43%, age 35-37 is 33%-36%, age 38-40 is 23%-27%, and lastly above the age of 40 is 13%-15% (AmericanPregnancy, 2012). Although the numbers for the younger ages seem low, there are far more success stories than not. These age gaps prove that the older the female, the harder it is to conceive. If the success rate is that low for women over 40, imagine the success rate for women 60-65 years or older. Therefore, in order to prevent females above the age of 60-65 to follow through with an IVF procedure in the future, government needs to intervene now before the option is

    Read More

  • Gwendolyn Brooks

    1064 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is important to not that the direction of Brooks’s literary career shifted dramatically in the late 1960’s. While attending a black writers’ conference she was struck by the passion of the young poets. Before this happened, she had regarded herself as essentially a universalist, who happened to be black. After the conference, she shifted from writing about her poems about black people and life to writing for the black population.

    Read More

  • Research Paper On In Vitro Fertilization

    1609 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Second, eggs are retrieved through a minor surgical procedure that uses ultrasound imaging to guide a hollow needle through the pelvic cavity to

    Read More

  • Diabetes Melllitus Type 2

    895 Words  | 2 Pages

    In conclusion, patients at risk for acquiring diabetes mellitus include those with increased obesity, poor food choices, and inactive lifestyles. These risk factors can be modified and will reduce the occurrence of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Medication can target the blood sugar abnormalities in situations where insulin resistance cannot be managed through lifestyle modifications, such as reduced caloric intake, reduced fat intake, weight loss, and increased exercise. Metformin is usually the first drug of choice for the management of type 2 diabetes. The dosage of the medication can be adjusted until normal glucose levels are achieved. Once benefits are achieved from the first choice medications, additional medications may be added. The prognosis for diabetes mellitus type 2 has improved with advancement in medication, prevention, and awareness of the disease.

    Read More

  • Diabetes Mellitus

    2137 Words  | 5 Pages

    Therefore, learning about the concept of diabetes in general is very important to prevent further complications of other critical diseases. It is best to understand and to stress out the importance of good nutrition, exercise, diet, healthy active lifestyle to the improvement for someone’s well being.

    Read More

  • Diabetes Essay

    888 Words  | 2 Pages

    Diabetes is a chronic illness that should never, under any circumstances, be taken lightly. If anyone is experiencing any of the signs or symptoms, listed above, they should follow up with their primary doctor. Knowing the signs and symptoms, the testing process, and the management of Diabetes, may help save a person’s life.

    Read More

  • The Surrogate Mother - Womb For Rent

    1489 Words  | 3 Pages

    [11] Raymonds, Janice G.. "Reproduction, population, technology and rights." Women in Action Journal. 2:1998 back

    Read More

  • Lies in Shakespeare's Macbeth

    1102 Words  | 3 Pages

    Over 400 years ago, Shakespeare wrote a play full of false impressions, deception, duplicity, and just plain lies. That is why Macbeth is still popular and the point of the story is easy to understand today (with help of NoFear Shakespeare). There is a high price to pay for lying and cheating your way to the top. Shakespeare was especially worried about lies and duplicity in politics. He felt that especially leaders like kings and those at court must show honesty in their lives as an example for the people. From the title, right away we know that Macbeth is not a king. He is simply a famous military man whose strong belief in unreliable sources led him to corruption, murder.

    Read More

  • Infertility Essay

    950 Words  | 2 Pages

    In all of the world, Infertility is needing our understanding. Although for some no matter what route they take they may end up without a child. I feel it is something that needs our attention as the numbers grow the more families are effected. I feel it is more important than breast augmentation or laser hair removal, which some insurances do cover. A light must be shined on this chronic illness and take the burden off of women.

    Read More

  • A Critique of On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion, by Mary Anne Warren

    1015 Words  | 3 Pages

    Warren, Mary Anne , and Mappes and D. DeGrazia. "On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion." Biomedical Ethics 4th (1996): 434-440. Print.

    Read More

  • In Vitro Fertilization: Pros And Cons?

    1635 Words  | 4 Pages

    On July 25 in 1978, a baby was born in England to a family who had been attempting to have a child for over nine years. The child, Louis Brown, was conceived as a result of in vitro fertilization. Brown is known to be the “world’s first [successful] test tube baby” and she, along with her family, were thrust under the spotlight of the media and science world alike (“The World’s First Test Tube Baby”). After the fertilization and birth were both successful, in vitro fertilization, or IVF, became a large topic for debate and medical expansion. Since 1978, it is believed that over 5 million babies have been born from in vitro fertilization (“ART Fact Sheet”). In 2012 alone, 61,000 babies were born via IVF, making this procedure extremely popular (Doucleff). Despite the fact that this process has helped many families have children when they normally would never have the opportunity to, in vitro fertilization is a highly controversially topic that has been subject to debate since it first became a fertility option in 1978.

    Read More

More about Artificial Reproductive Technologies

Open Document